1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to light fixtures and shades or covers therefor and, more particularly, is concerned with a light fixture extension adapter for enabling a fluorescent light bulb to replace an incandescent light bulb of smaller size in a light fixture without interfering with a standard light cover used with the light fixture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, compact fluorescent light bulbs have been introduced to the consumer market which are substantially longer lasting and consume much less electrical energy than standard incandescent light bulbs. Millions of existing homes of consumers employ light fixtures in which incandescent light bulbs could be replaced by compact fluorescent light bulbs such that a considerable reduction of electrical energy usage could be realized.
However, one of these types of existing light fixtures that is a commonly employed on a wall or ceiling, a bracket having a first portion mounted to and extending outwardly from the wall or ceiling, one or more electrical sockets supported by and about and extending radially outwardly from the first portion of the bracket for threadably receiving one or more incandescent light bulbs of a standard size, the bracket also having a second portion attached to and extending outwardly from the first portion of the bracket and having a threaded end or nipple, and a light shade or cover that has a mounting hole allowing the cover to fit over the nipple such that the cover can be retained on the second portion of the bracket by a cap that is screwed on the nipple. This light cover is thus supported by the bracket so as to cover the incandescent light bulbs and be disposed in a closely spaced relationship therefrom.
While the electrical sockets of this common wall or ceiling light fixture are capable of accommodating the aforementioned recent compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of the traditional or standard incandescent light bulbs, these compact fluorescent light bulbs are sufficiently larger in size than the standard incandescent light bulbs such that the second portion of the bracket is thereby too short to allow reinstallation of the light cover thereon without the light cover making interfering contact with the compact fluorescent light bulbs. This prevents these compact fluorescent light bulbs from being used in the aforementioned type of existing wall or ceiling light fixtures and thus greatly reduces the possible numbers there that can be used in existing homes.
Consequently, a need exists for an innovation which will provide a solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
The present invention provides a light fixture extension adapter designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The light fixture extension adapter of the present invention adds sufficient length to the second portion of the bracket of the existing wall or ceiling light fixture so as to allow compact fluorescent light bulbs to be used in place of incandescent light bulbs of smaller size without interfering with the reinstallation of the standard light cover used with such light fixture.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a light fixture extension adapter which comprises: (a) an elongated body having opposite end portions; (b) a male stud on one of the opposite end portions of the elongated body for extending through a mounting hole in a cover of a light fixture defined so as to extend between opposite outer and inner faces of the light fixture cover, the male stud having means for fastening a cap of the light fixture on the male stud so as to dispose the light fixture cap adjacent to the outer face of the light fixture cover; (c) a female socket on the other of the opposite end portions of the elongated body and disposed adjacent to the inner face of the light fixture cover, the female socket having means for fastening a nipple of a light fixture to the female socket; and (d) means disposed on the elongated body for abutting the inner face of the light fixture cover such that upon fastening the light fixture cap on the male stud the light fixture cover is clamped between the abutting means and the light fixture cap.
More particularly, the fastening means of the male stud is external threads for threadably tightening internal threads of the cap of the light fixture on the male stud so as to dispose the light fixture cap adjacent to the outer face of the light fixture cover. The fastening means of the female socket is internal threads for threadably receiving external threads of the nipple of the light fixture. The male stud and female socket are coaxially aligned with one another by the elongated body.
In a first embodiment, the elongated body has a cylindrical-shaped configuration. The abutting means is an annular flange attached to and extending about and radially outwardly from the elongated body generally between the opposite end portions thereof.
In a second embodiment, the elongated body is a bracket having a U-shaped configuration and the opposite end portions of the elongated body are a pair of legs laterally spaced apart from one another. The elongated body also has a middle bight extending between and interconnecting the legs such that the male stud is attached to one of the legs and the female socket is attached to the other of the legs.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.